An API, otherwise known as an “application programming interface,” comprises a set of principles that specify how applications can be linked to and correspond with one another.
A REST API is an API that follows the guidelines of the REST or “representational state transfer design.” For this reason, REST APIs are once in a while referred to as RESTful APIs.
This flexibility was initially identified in 2000 by Dr. Roy Fielding in his doctoral dissertation. REST furnishes a comparatively high level of flexibility and freedom for engineers. This suppleness is one of the reasons why REST APIs have become a regular way of linking elements and applications in a microservices architecture.
The basics on how it works
To do regular database activities such as creating, reading, updating, and deleting records (referred to as CRUD), REST APIs utilize HTTP requests. For instance, a GET request is used to retrieve a record, a POST to create one, a PUT to update a record, and a DELETE to delete one. All HTTP methods can be employed in API calls. A well-crafted REST API is comparable to a website running on an internet browser with integrated HTTP features.
At any given moment, the state of a resource is known as the resource representation. This information can be sent to a client in several forms, such as JavaScript Object Notation (JSON), HTML, XLT, Python, PHP, or plain text. JSON is favored because both machines and humans can interpret it – and it has no programming language ties.
Request headers and parameters are also essential in REST API calls as they contain important identifier information like metadata.
Read more about REST APIs on Medium.
